Tech Stuff - Languages

We have historically used PHP for web work, avoided PERL like the plague (hieroglyphics is not our thing), did some heavy experimentation with Python but nothing too serious, slapped together code in javascript because we had no choice (you can't program in Javascript you can only slap stuff together), C for serious programming, C++ only if a gun was pointed at our head, Java when we felt masochistic (it's like C++ without the exciting bits (pointers)) and messed around with XHTML/HTML/CSS when we weren't doing real work. Not entirely serious, but you get where we are coming from.

Note: We note that both Python and Ruby have crossed their respective Rubicons (no pun intended) by making the non-backward compatible language jump (Python 2 to Python 3, Ruby 1.8.x to 1.9 +). We further note that in Python's case the change was made in 2008 and legacy python 2 code will be around, in our opinion, for decades (originally forcast as a couple of years - max). Ruby has less of an established code base so may pull off the transition more quickly. Maybe. Many, many years ago we worked with a guy who coined the term stiffware which loosly meant that the software/firmware/library was written by someone who had either left the company, moved onto new things or had otherwise (to paraphrase Dylan Thomas) gone gently into the good night. Stiffware is the enemy of language purists, however right they may be. But what do we know.

We're not Java guys but a recent (2016) project forced us to get to grips with the language. Tons of excellent resources out there for Java programmers but in spite of all our googling we failed to find a solution to trigger specialized editing functions when working with HTML forms in JEditorPane. So, being stubborn creatures by nature we found a way. If it helps - this page explains what we did, and if it doesn't help, well, that makes it a pretty sad day all round. Programmatically triggering the Submit button on HTML forms - turns out to be trivial. And hooking System.out into a normal Logger file took a bit of thinking (not something we are good at). Page also includes a simple (read limited) tool to allow HTML files containing (X)SSI (Apache extended includes) directives to be exported to non-XSSI supporting web servers or for use with HTML viewers.

Plenty of resources out there for PHP folks - but these are our notes and code for our PHP Mail functions with SPAM injection checks for 'mail us' and 'mail this page' pages, an SQLite3 database for tracking and preventing spam injection to our mail services, a PHP web based MySQL database and table viewer, PHP and SSIs, and a web kit that we use to maintain our web site and was an early exercise in class programming with PHP.

Some resources on Ruby - our historic language of choice for web development, scripting and applications. Though each step seems harder than it should right now. Updated with some Ruby on Rails documentation and our implementation of TYPO (the Ruby on Rails based blogging software).

Problems, comments, suggestions, corrections (including broken links) or something to add? Please take the time from a busy life to 'mail us' (at top of screen), the webmaster (below) or info-support at zytrax. You will have a warm inner glow for the rest of the day.